Which term describes a disease that can be transmitted from one person to another?

• A. Communicable Disease
• B. Pathogens
• C. Infectious Disease
• D. Causative Agent

Answer: (A)

When a disease can move from one person to another, it is described as communicable. This term specifically highlights the aspect of transmission between people, which is exactly what the question is asking about. In athletic training settings, recognizing a communicable disease is crucial for infection-control practices—like appropriate cleaning, hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, and decisions about when an athlete can safely return to activity.

An infectious disease refers to any disease caused by a pathogen, but that doesn’t automatically mean it spreads easily from person to person—some infectious diseases require vectors or specific conditions to spread. Pathogens are the organisms that cause disease, not the diseases themselves or their mode of transmission. A causative agent is another way to name the specific pathogen responsible for a disease, again focusing on cause rather than how the disease is transmitted.

So, the term that best matches a disease that can be transmitted from one person to another is communicable disease.